Thread: What skills and tools do i need to build this?

Originally Posted by stonedpirate

Hi all

I come from a wood/composite background but would like to learn metal fab for the soul purpose of building this little olden day lifeboat:





I see a lot of compound curves and realize i will need to roll sheet metal but have no idea how i would figure out how to size the plates ready for rolling.

I want to build it out of 3mm steel.

If someone could point me in the right direction to get me started it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Wow What a project. I personally wouldn't know where to start ! Only I'm very willing to look and learn from your experience. I've taken on some big projects, like the camper conversion I'm currently on with, but this is way over my head.

I doubt all the sheets are just rolled.
I'd say most of them are pressed so you will need access to a large area heavy duty press.
Also your assistant riveter will need a really good pair of earmuffs especially as the sides start closing in

Although it does not necessarily look it, that is a far from simple project, especially if you are talking full size.
The hull plates are curved in two directions so you would need something like a power hammer, stretcher/ shrinker dies or perhaps an English wheel to shape them. To roll 3mm plate of any significant width a set of hand rolls won't cut it, so a powered set will be required. For cutting probably something like a plasma cutter would be quickest (and there would lots of cutting).
Joining would be using rivets and that will require a heating method as well as a staking tool (probably pneumatic).
If you would settle for a scale model you could make it out of say 2mm aluminium which would be a lot easier to work. There would still be a lot of work in the project though.

Michael

Are those pictures the same boat?

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Are those pictures the same boat?

Stuart

They can't be unless it's a Tardis life boat!

They seem dimentionally different in length. The inside pic shows more rivited joins from bow to stern. In any case it's an interersting project. Thanks for the pics.



Simon

There's been discussion on this on boatdesign.net where a large number of people who design & build steel boats hang out.

I suspect the OP is asking here because the comments by the professionals were somewhat less than encouraging, overall, especially WRT the 'boat' actually doing what the OP says he wants it to do.

Whatever. It's buildable, if he wants to spend the money on the tooling required. I don't propose to spend any time commenting, though, because even if built it's going to be an overweight POS with the seagoing capabilities of a football and the comfort to match. IMO it's not worth the trouble involved.

PDW

I am getting sea sick just looking at it... be like a cork in a bathtub...

The lifeboat looks like a great project and will be a very difficult one in terms of the varied skills, equipment and venue to build it.

Your main problem as I see it, is that these needed skills are not currently or commonly used skill sets. As no one builds craft of that shape and material type, much any more the skills mentioned are dissipated over a number of different trade areas, not really available as a package from one particular trade,so to speak.

These are metal layout and marking ,sheetmetal ,boat building, and caulking and riveting.

Those types of the trade skill sets you seek are those formerly held by those who may be not be around to pass it on, I am afraid.

Those persons who are currently willing or even able to pass on even some of those specific skills are in very short supply. Even the basic skill may not transfer directly to your application. Take shipbuilding and the compound curvature of sheet plates for example.

While the same compound curvature of the metal work is that used in shipbuilding, the material thickness for ships will be many times greater than your application, meaning the equipment used to achieve the light work is very much different from that of heavy work, as is the technique for doing so.

Also something to consider,is where this is going to be constructed, a long way from the nearest neighbors I suggest, if one is to remain on a civil basis with them.

The closet applicable trade I can think of would be a sheetmetal worker who has formed aircraft panels.

Its a great link with the seafaring past .Thanks for posting the pictures.

Best of luck with it

Grahame

Firstly, I didn't know submarines had lifeboats.

Secondly, if your skills are in woodworking, why not strip-plank for the hull?

Thanks all (well, all but one :P )

I was really just trying to gauge the difficulty and expense of such a project to see if it was something i could reasonably handle over a couple of years but going by this thread, the amount of skill and tooling required is beyond me unfortunately.

I still like the idea of a floating bubble and will consider ply/epoxy or fiberglass.

I didn't want to copy this boats construction methods exactly as i am not building a replica. So welds instead of rivets and thinner plate because i am assuming this one is thicker than 3mm. I just thought there might have been a newer, simpler and more modern method of building curved hulls in steel. I will keep researching curved steel hull boat building and if i cant find a relatively simple technique i will just forget about metal altogether.

Hi I presume you are not intending using it for its original purpose ?
As suggested you could build similar in much thinner steel/aluminium,fibre -glass or wood as already suggested.

Would probably be cheaper to find an original one overseas and ship it over here than trying to build one to the original specifications.

I thought you'd just make it flat from 2 sheets, weld around the seam and then inflate it with water?

If not doing a replica, just going for the general "look", then you can create a curved surface (of sorts) by cutting thin wedges/segments out of a sheet, bending to shape and welding the wedge lines. Not unlike how you would do it in ply.

Certainly would still be a big job.

Hi,
I happened to find this link by chance but it is relative to the work you may have in mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUZ1...=youtube_gdata

Note the size of the English wheel behind the sample at the start of the video.If working 3mm that is .

Grahame